We love our kids.  Some are doing fine, but some are not…
MISSOURI’S CHILDREN
260,000 live in Poverty
127,000 lack Health Insurance
    9,600 are in Foster Care

MISSOURI’S FAMILIES
361,000 rely on Food Stamps
  39,000 rely on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

Call to Action: It is time to Invest in Kids!

What is the Invest in Kids Campaign? The goal of the Invest in Kids Campaign is to draw public attention to issues affecting Missouri's children—poverty, food and housing insecurity, health care, juvenile justice, early care and education, child abuse, and after-school programs. By educating the public and the candidates about children’s issues, we aim to make Missouri’s kids a priority in Election ’08.

Who is sponsoring the Invest in Kids Campaign? Every Child Matters (ECM) is sponsoring this nation-wide effort to make kids a priority in Election ’08. Based in Washington, DC, ECM was founded on the premise that children and youth policy issues are of great concern to the public and that elections offer an important opportunity to educate the public and policy makers about the needs of children. 

For a list of all the national co-sponsors, click here
http://www.everychildmatters.org/National/Campaigns/Step-Up-4-Kids.html

In Missouri, the Missouri Coalition of Children’s Agencies (MCCA) is leading the Invest in Kids Campaign. MCCA advocates for the needs of more than 11,000 children in foster care or at risk of foster care.

For a list of all the Missouri co-sponsors, click here

How can families and children’s groups get involved?

Click Below to Read a Recap of the STL Step-Up-for-Kids Rally
Recap

Click Below to Read a Recap of the KC Step-Up-for-Kids Rally
Recap

Attend Candidate Forums in the Kansas City Area
Contact Emily Smith at (816) 531-9200 ext. 225 or at smith@pfc.org
Eastern Jackson County Candidate Forum
Wednesday, October 22

Attend Outreach Events in the Columbia Area
The Kids First Caravan, Wednesday, October 22
Contact Emily Schwartze at (314) 647-2003 or at eschwartze@mokids.org

Click Below for More Information on the Kids Rally at the VP Debate

Contact Cathi Martarella at (314) 504-1573 for more information

Click Below to Read a Recap of the Kids Rally at the VP Debate
Recap

Invest in Kids Campaign General Media Coverage

• Click here to read the 9/13 Editorial in the Kansas City Star
• Click here to read the 9/17 Blog in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
• Click here to read the 9/29 Letter-to-the-Editor in the Joplin Independent
• Click here to read the 10/1 Letter-to-the-Editor in the Columbia Missourian
• Click here to read the 10/1 Letter-to-the-Editor in the Caldwell County News/Hamilton Advocate
• Click here to read the 10/3 Letter-to-the-Editor in the St. Joseph News-Press
• Click here to read the 10/8 Letter-to-the-Editor in the Camdenton Lake Sun Leader
• Click here to read the 10/8 Letter-to-the-Editor in the North County Journal - Bridgeton
• Click here to read the 10/8 Letter-to-the-Editor in the North County Journal - Florissant
• Click here to read the 10/9 Letter-to-the-Editor in the Houston Herald
• Click here to read the 10/15 Letter-to-the-Editor in the Eminence Shannon County Current Wave
• Click here to read the 10/26 Letter-to-the-Editor in the Jefferson City News Tribune

Candidate Questionnaires

The Invest in Kids Campaign sent questionnaires to all candidates running for either the State Senate or the Missouri House of Representatives. We asked the candidates about their ideas on how to help children in a variety of areas including child protection and health care.

Below are the responses that we received:

• State Senator District 3 – Democratic Candidate Dennis Riche
• State Senator District 27 – Democratic Candidate Linda Sanders
• State Representative District 24 – Democratic Candidate Chris Kelly
• State Representative District 59 – Democratic Candidate Jeanette Mott Oxford
  • Jeanette Mott Oxford Attachment 1 on Tax Justice
  • Jeanette Mott Oxford Attachment 2 on Tax Justice
  • Jeanette Mott Oxford Attachment 3 on Tax Justice
• State Representative District 89 – Democratic Candidate George Boots
• State Representative District 97 – Democratic Candidate Jan Polizzi
• State Representative District 131 – Republican Candidate Marilyn Ruestman
• State Representative District 144 – Democratic Candidate Dennis Lee Chilton
• State Representative District 155 – Democratic Candidate Nancy Pope
• State Representative District 159 – Democratic Candidate Bill Burlison
• State Representative District 159 – Republican Candidate Billy Pat Wright

Letters to the Presidential Candidates

The Invest in Kids Campaign sent letters to both presidential candidates asking them to focus on children’s issues in the last days of the campaign. Click below to read the letters:

• Senator McCain Letter
• Senator Obama Letter

Youth Speak Out

At our Kids Viewing Party for the last Presidential Debate some young people discussed children’s issues. Click the link below to view the clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vAvGVNoJvI

For more information on the Invest in Kids Campaign:

Cathi Martarella
Invest in Kids Education Coordinator
(314) 504-1573